Started in the 50s with Connies, 707s then 747s. Full fifth freedom and don't forget LHR-ORD (x4 weekly) - also discontinued (afaik). In the old days they also had trans-Atlantic to Geneva and others. (And India-Sydney-Fiji by 707!)

In the 70s and 80s Air-India also served India-LHR-YUL-YYZ-LHR-India with traffic rights to both Canadian cities (eg YUL-YYZ-LHR); no rights just between YUL-YYZ of course. That ended after Sikh separatists blew up a 747 over the Atlantic but YYZ-LHR has come back this century, aimed at linking the two biggest Sikh cities in the world, Amritsar and Toronto via the third biggest, BHX. Couple of years ago the BHX stop was moved to LHR. Aircraft used is 777-200ER and still runs. Hard to find on Expedia et al, but worth searching for cos it's cheap and exotic, swirly interiors decor, gracious service with a smile and a sari, and a sensational curry.

Btw LHR-JFK fares were amazing at times, I did it in Mar 2000 for £129 rtn inc tax. Thank you Air-India

Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 4):AI served GVA for many years but I can't recall GVA ever being included as a stop on their transatlantic flights.

In AI's March 1963 timetable they had twice weekly service from New York to India that included Geneva as an intermediate stop. One was routed IDL(became JFK)-LHR-ORY-GVA-CAI-DEL-BOM; the other went IDL-LHR-ORY-GVA-CAI-BOM-CCU-BKK-HKG-HND

My sister and her husband took an interline trip on Air India back in the late 70's when Air India had that JFK midnight departure to LHR. It was a 3 night stay in a great London hotel on top of the non-rev air trip for just a few hundred bucks. She thought the interior of the 747 looked like the exterior of a package of incense. The wall panels even were covered with Indian artwork.

Quoting type-rated (Reply 5):She thought the interior of the 747 looked like the exterior of a package of incense. The wall panels even were covered with Indian artwork.

LOL... I flew AI a few times from LHR-JFK and I loved their interior. The Upper Deck in J was really nice with lovely Indian food. The lounge at LHR was pretty decent also. After the flight you thought you should be landing in DEL rather than JFK.

Quoting cedarjet (Reply 2):Started in the 50s with Connies, 707s then 747s. Full fifth freedom and don't forget LHR-ORD (x4 weekly) - also discontinued (afaik). In the old days they also had trans-Atlantic to Geneva and others. (And India-Sydney-Fiji by 707!)

AI never flew LHR-JFK with the Connie. They started transatlantic services only after they bought the 707s. Even then, I doubt they ever flew transatlantic from GVA.

Only segments indicating "no local traffic allowed" on these flights were Delhi-Bombay and Bombay-Calcutta...which would mean it was possible at the time to fly Air-India New York-Geneva in both directions on a same-plane, same-flight basis with 2 intermediate stops.

Quoting DIJKKIJK (Reply 10):They started transatlantic services only after they bought the 707s.

May 14, 1960 to be exact...with 707-437s...to New York as an extension of their Bombay-London 707 service started April 19, 1960.

Back in the 70s when I was non-revving if I couldn't get on PA I'd run over and take AI for JFK-LHR-JFK service. Yes, the cabins were walled, each cabin, in different Indian art with multiple colors. There was quite a lot of JFK-LHR-JFK O/D traffic on these flights.

Yes, full traffic rights JFK-LHR. The 747 was a daily flight that was either routed:JFK-LHR-BOMJFK-LHR-DEL-BOM
The DEL stop was 3 or 4x/week.

Yes- the side panels were amazing. Think light or deep purple, pink, red, or blue all with Indian motifs. The latter 747-200's had the slightly more subtler tones. I also recall a slightly different landing procedure on all my AI flights- the air spoilers were deployed high up and you heard this loud noise throughout the cabin.

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